Data Analyst
Government Office for Science
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 6th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
The Government Office for Science works at the heart of Government, ensuring policies and decisions are informed by the best scientific evidence and strategic long-term thinking. It's an exciting time to join the organisation; we have outstanding and high-profile positions providing you an opportunity to inform and influence policy-making and the systems for use of science and engineering across government. If you are highly motivated and looking for your next career challenge we want to hear from you.
Our mission is:
- Science advice mechanisms that are efficient, effective, speak truth to power and are embedded irreversibly in Government systems.
- Visible impact through both pro-active and demand-led science advice that is relevant, excellent, and delivered fit for purpose.
Further information can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-office-for-science
We strongly believe diversity of experience, thought, perspectives, skills, and background makes us a more innovative, welcoming Department, thus making better decisions and better delivering our objectives. We are actively seeking applications from every part of the community and particularly welcome applications from candidates of any age, background, disability, or from an ethnic minority background and any other protected characteristics. This will help us move to a workforce that reflects the people we serve to deliver better policies.
We are a friendly, inclusive team and emphasise personal development. We will ensure individuals with disabilities are provided adjustments to participate in the job application and interview process. We support your wellbeing by putting flexible working at the heart of our offer; if successful, you will be able to discuss working arrangements with your new manager.
We maintain an internal surge capability of staff who may be called at short notice to support an activation of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE). Training and support will be provided. This is an excellent opportunity to develop crisis management skills.
Job description
This data analyst role sits within our Technology Insights Futures and Foresight (TIFF) unit. TIFF provides high quality, independent evidence to inform strategic decisions on science and technology and long- term issues. Our team is diverse, inclusive and focused on individual wellbeing. We are proud to support lots of different working patterns, locations and learning and development activity. We are a multidisciplinary team of analysts, data scientists, scientists, economists, and policy professionals.
Our Foresight programme brings scientific evidence and long-term thinking to policy and strategy development. We identify important, long-term, cross-cutting issues for government where we can offer a unique, futures-orientated perspective, and deliver science advice that is evidence-based and impactful. We work collaboratively with other government departments, academia and industry, bringing wide-ranging and expert views to bear on important strategic issues.
Our Technology Science Insights team analyses science and technology, to understand the UK's relative areas of strength and weakness in science and technology. The team uses all source evidence, data and expert engagement to produce advice to senior customers across government.
The post holder will work collaboratively to produce insights and reports for policy makers on long term strategic issues, science and technology. We work with a wide range of data and information sources including academic publication records, patents, business, financial and national security information. We work flexibly across projects and there will be opportunities to work with teams across GO Science, advising the Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Person specification
Key responsibilities:
Working in a multidisciplinary team under a G6 Analyst, the HEO Data Analyst Responsibilities will include:
Research and mixed-methods analysis of long-term issues as part of our Foresight project team. Current project examples include literature reviews, analysis and modelling of Global Supply Chains and metrics for AI scenarios.
Assembling and co-ordinating contributions from external experts, including academia and industry, to inform Government’s future thinking.
Developing methodologies and conducting analysis to understand opportunities and risks of strategic issues, science and technology as part of our analyst pool.
Writing up analytical findings for TIFF reports, ensuring accurate use of statistics and concise communication of complex findings to have impact on senior leaders.
Identifying suitable data sources and implementing new data flows that support users within TIFF. Maintain data repositories to ensure information remains accurate, up to date, and accessed appropriately.
Linking TIFF team to the wider community of government S&T analysts, sharing knowledge and developing best practice in using common data sources.
GO Science maintains an internal surge capability of staff who may be called on at short notice to support urgent areas of work. There may be opportunities to volunteer to support this activity.
Essential Criteria:
Undergraduate degree or qualification of an equivalent level in a quantitative/analytical science, engineering, technology, finance or economics subject or social sciences.
You can design and conduct analysis to provide evidence to support decision making using a range of statistical and analytical techniques.
You can present your findings in a way that supports the policy development process, selecting between different approaches for communicating insight and being able justify those choices.
You are able to translate technical concepts into non-technical language and can communicate complex analysis clearly in a variety of styles.
Ability to understand customer needs and propose suitable methodologies for analysis, sourcing data and suggesting innovative methods.
Desirable for this role:
Experience in futures, foresight, horizon scanning, analysis or long-term strategy development.
Data science skills - ability at programming languages such as Python, R, SQL or similar, or a desire to develop this skillset. You know how to use agreed standards and tools to design, code, test, correct and document moderate-to-complex programs and scripts from agreed specifications and subsequent iterations, maintaining and updated relevant data models for specific business needs.
You can collaborate with others efficiently using tools such as Git, reviewing specifications where appropriate.
You are not required to currently be a member of one of the cross-Government analytical professions but professional standards for those roles give an indication of the professional skills we require, and membership of one of these professions is required in order to receive the analytical allowance. This post requires skills aligned to aspects of the following professions: Government Operational Research Service, Government Statistical Service, Government Social Research Service. As part of the application process, you will be asked to state which one you associate with most closely, and badging for this profession will then be tested at interview stage.
If applying on promotion from within the Civil Service, the selection process will be configured to allow you to retain your professional badge. For a successful external candidate, after appointment, we will provide the opportunity for further accreditation processes to formally join one of the cross-Government professions where necessary and desired, but completion of this process is not a condition of employment for the role.
As part of the application process, candidates will be required to go through badging for one of the Government Analytical Professions if they are not already a member. The professions are Government Economic Service (GES), Government Operational Research Service (GORS), Government Statistician Group (GSG), Government Social Research (GSR). Please note that as this is an HEO role to apply as an economist you must already be a GES member.
The eligibility requirements for each of the other professions can be found below:
GES: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ges-technical-framework-2022.
GORS: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-government-operational-research-service
GSG: https://analysisfunction.civilservice.gov.uk/policy-store/competency-framework-for-the-government-statistician-group-gsg/
GSR: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-government-social-research-competency-framework
You must either be a member of GES, GORS, GSG or GSR, or you must be able to demonstrate that (a) you satisfy the eligibility criteria and (b) you have the competence at HEO grade for GORS, GSG or GSR . For the avoidance of doubt, to apply for this role under the GES profession you must already be a badged GES at HEO or above.
We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible and recognise how important inclusivity is to achieve the best outcomes. We hope to attract applications from all underrepresented groups.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Seeing the Big Picture
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Competency: ‘Data Analysis’ for GSG, ‘Knowledge and application of OR skills and techniques’ for GORS; ‘Technical Skills’ for GSR; ‘Analysis of Data’ for GES
Benefits
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and any technical skills required.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Please use your personal statement in no more than 750 words. We are looking for someone passionate about science and technology analysis and able to produce high quality and robust analytical products that impact policy and strategy development. With this in mind, please set out how you meet the Essential and Desirable Criteria as set out in the job advertisement and what you would bring to our foresight and science and technology analysis. Please also include detail on which of the analytical professions you are or would like to become a member of.
Applications will be sifted on CV, personal statement, and any technical skills required.
In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead technical skill (Data Analysis).
Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
The interview will consist of behaviour and technical questions.
Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.
Sift and interview dates
Expected Timeline subject to change
Sift dates: w/c 07/10/2024
Interview dates: w/c 28/10/2024
Interview Location: MS Teams.
Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.
Further Information
Reasonable Adjustment
We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.
Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.
We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.
Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk
DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).
DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.
DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Julia Erdelmann
- Email : Julia.erdelmann@go-science.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
